17 January 2018
During a routine inspection
At the time of our inspection the provider had moved to a new location at Unit B Gateway 1000 Whittle Way Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 2FP. The applications to change the location address had been made to CQC and we are in the process of updating these changes.
Allied Healthcare Goldsborough - Stevenage is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community and in specialist housing. It provides a service to adults with learning ,physical disabilities and older people, including people living with dementia who live in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 548 people using the service.
The service did not have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
At this inspection we found a breach of the regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to person centred care. The provider had failed to operate effective systems to meet people's needs and reflect their preferences.
There was not enough staff available at all times to meet people’s needs. People and their relatives told us that the care and support provided by Allied Healthcare Goldsborough - Stevenage was not always appropriate to meet people's preferred preferences.
Staff helped and supported people to take their medicines safely. Staff received training in safe administration of medicines and knew how to make sure people received their medicines safely. However, we found that there had been some medicine errors that had not been identified by the providers monitoring systems in place.
The provider had policies in place to monitor any concerns and complaints raised by people who used the service or their relatives. The manager investigated and responded to complaints. However not everyone felt the communication was good. Some people felt that although they had raised issues about their call times, however they felt that calls times remained inconsistent.
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People felt safe using the service. Staff demonstrated they had a good understanding of abuse and were able to escalate concerns when required. The provider had safe recruitment practices in place.
Staff received training to enable them to carry out their role effectively and safely
Staff sought people's consent to care. People received support to access healthcare appointments if needed.
People and their relatives told us they were satisfied with the staff that provided their care. Staff members often took the time to have a chat and support people with their needs. People were fully involved in making decisions about their own care. People felt staff treated them with dignity and respect.
People and their relatives told us they had been involved in developing people's care plans and felt that staff listened to them. The manager demonstrated a good knowledge of the staff they employed and people who used the service. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.